Media stations are notorious for firing journalists unexpectedly, especially during staff restructuring. Dozens of popular journalists have lost their jobs with some managing clinch positions in other media companies, and others starting their own businesses. Notable mentions include: Shaffie Weru, Mark Masai, Emmanuel Juma and Tom Mboya.
Below is a list of journalists who revealed their business to Kenyans after being fired:
John Marete
His entrepreneurial spirit was awakened when he was fired from Citizen TV. The journalist put the disappointment of losing his job behind him and went on to found Weru TV.
Marete did not stop there. He went on to launch Weru FM in 2017 followed by Mutongoi TV in 2021 and Mutongoi FM shortly after.
Joshua Makori Ongechi
In 2021, the journalist was fired from his position at Citizen TV on the eve of his birthday. It was alleged that his firing was due to a fall out with management.
Following this, he founded Azimiokuu Brand Africa Limited, a company with interest in communication, production of documentaries, and advertising.
It was also reported that he was in the business of transporting fresh produce from his Kisii home and selling them in Nairobi.
TerryAnne Chebet
TerryAnne Chebet was at the peak of her career when she was laid off from Citizen TV. She used to headline a business show at the station and the sacking came as a shock to her as she thought she was performing well.
Despite the setback, she had established a skin care brand known as Keyara Organics and would later be hired at Fanaka TV and Metropol.
She left Metropol and fully dived into entrepreneurship with the establishment of Pink Foundry Communications to deal with growing brands.
Caleb Karuga
For Caleb Karuga, his firing came as a blessing for him. The former K24 reporter had wanted to leave his job but preferred to stay until he was fired.
Speaking to How We Made it in Africa, he said quitting would have meant forfeiting more than a million in benefits. After he was shown the door from the media house, he invested deeply in agribusiness and founded Wendy Farms. Despite a couple of challenges, the business grew into a success. He also owns a popular cafe.
Kirigo Ng’arua
The journalist was fired by Citizen TV in 2016 just as she was planning to go on air. While it isn’t clear if she started a business, she started offering consultancy services at Dashers inc. before becoming a Media, Communications, and Branding Specialist in the Coffee sub-sector Implementation Committee.